Thursday, August 16, 2012

WriteOnCon: The Sound Of Silence






Millions of spectators,  Hundreds of competitors.  A handful of awards.  And now?  The sound of silence.  The 2012 Olympic games were held in London with all the pageantry and elegance that city could offer.  There were some winners and some losers, but in the end I'm sure everyone there walked away with the feeling of being a part of something grand.

For me, and I'm pretty sure many more of you out there, WriteOnCon this year was an event of "olympic" proportions where participants from all over the globe came together in the spirit of camaraderie to test their mettle on the field of writing.





Yes, there were great risks.  Writers put their heart and soul into their work, no matter their years in the business, and there is always a certain level of nervousness putting your work out there for the world to see.  To maybe laugh at.  Or worse, comment on the foolishness of you thinking you could be a writer.

But it's rarely that bad and most times we writers are pleasantly surprised to find just how many people out there actually LIKE our stories.  I went into this conference not really knowing what I would find.  I leave this conference with some new friendships, a critique of my work by an industry professional, and a wealth of knowledge which will last me a lifetime.  I have been enriched by my experiences and have discovered that I have little to fear about whether I can call myself a writer or not.  Now I can just sit back and enjoy the aftermath of a FABULOUS writer's online conference and listen to...





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26 comments:

  1. janetAugust 16, 2012 at 9:46 AM

    Silent? Me? That's a good one. No, really, that post is a good one.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 16, 2012 at 9:24 PM

      Lol, Janet...what WAS I thinking? I agree...YOU...Silent? That's a good one, indeed! ;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  2. Angela BrownAugust 16, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    You were there? I'm sorry I did not get to lurk long enough to find you. I enjoyed the conference as well. Getting a chance to hear what industry professionals have to say about writing and publishing was wonderful. I especially enjoyed Peter Knapp's critique of pitches and left with a lot learned and a lot to apply to my own stuff.

    Glad you have a wonderful experience as well.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 16, 2012 at 9:33 PM

      Hi Angela! Yeah, I put up four PBs, one MG, and two YA queries, first 250 words and for the YA the first 5 pages. I entered my MG The Warriors Three in the Peter Knapp submissions contest but wasn't chosen. There was so much great info out there and I literally spent three days reading post after post after post...did quite a number of general critiques and even had a few people requesting I specifically read their work and critique which I found quite amusing since that's not an area I am any type of expert in but felt honored to be asked all the same...l~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  3. SuziAugust 16, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    I attended my first WOC. Well kind of. I posted my query, critiqued a few others, then read through some stuff from that first day. I'll have t head back though and check out the rest I've missed from the last 2 days. Lots of great information.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 16, 2012 at 9:56 PM

      Hi Suzi and welcome to my blog! This was my first WOC as well and for me it was an INCREDIBLY FUN event! I feed off the positive energy and feel like a kid on the first day of school with so much to learn that I don't know where to start. I took lots of notes and came away with such a strong idea of what a good query should have in it which is PRICELESS to me! ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  4. jpAugust 16, 2012 at 11:29 AM

    I know what you mean, sometimes the silence can be deafening.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 16, 2012 at 9:58 PM

      Hi JP! I'm one of those people who welcome the silence...but then again I have just recently reclaimed my own life and the silence has become my healing friend...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. Beth StilbornAugust 16, 2012 at 9:15 PM

    I'm particularly impressed that you got a critique by an industry professional (although somehow I missed actually seeing it).

    I so appreciate that the forums and posts will remain available to read and learn from, unlike an in-person conference where there's no going back.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 16, 2012 at 10:05 PM

      Hi Beth! I posted the opening stanzas of Barnyard Christmas and Tiffan Stelitz Harber chose it for a critique. She gave me wonderful tips on improving it...now for me to find the time to reflect and put her wisdom into action. I also just received an email tonight from Corey Rosen Swartz and she will be emailing me her critique of my opening stanza of It's Raining Dogs and Cats from their Meter Maid forum. I feel so incredibly blessed to have some of my work to be selected for these critiques. For me it's kind of like being told what the next winning lottery numbers will be...now I just have to play the game! ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  6. LyndseyLewellenAugust 17, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    Hi Donna! Nice to meet you. WOC was awesome. I'm glad to see you got some useful critiques. Sometimes we get too close to our own work to see its flaws. That's been my problem for a while, and I'm super stoked to get some fresh eyes on my writing. Can't wait for GUTGAA.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 17, 2012 at 11:07 AM

      Hi Lyndsey and welcome to my blog! I've only been blogging since Dec 2011 and keep coming across so many lovely people in this worldly writing community. Can't wait for GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  7. Katharina GerlachAugust 17, 2012 at 11:26 AM

    Hi Donna, I've been to WOC too and found it very good and helpful. I even got my query critiqued by an agent (yay). I like your website, it's so peaceful. Also, I'm sooo looking forward to GUTGAA (need to download the badge asap). Thanks for visiting my website.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 18, 2012 at 12:45 AM

      Hi Cat and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words about my website (www.donnalmartin.com). I wanted a theme which invited people in without overwhelming them.

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  8. AnonymousAugust 17, 2012 at 12:37 PM

    I'll admit I was a bit skeptical about an online writers' conference at first. I wondered how helpful it would really be and whether the live events would be as vibrant an in-person one. I was really impressed! There was a ton of useful information, plus the opportunity to ask questions and see examples from professionals.

    Thanks for visiting my blog, by the way.

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 18, 2012 at 12:48 AM

      Hi, Connie, and welcome to my blog! This was the first time I had ever had the chance to attend ANY type of conference and I am amazed of the wealth of knowledge I have come away with! I can't wait until next year...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  9. Mara ValderranAugust 17, 2012 at 12:41 PM

    I agree that it was of Olympic proportions! I am still going through and reading people's query letters and pages because I just didn't have time to this week. I still need to look at the actual con events too! I read through some of Peter Knapp's critiques but I really want to sit down and take my time with it. Next up: GUTGAA! Can't wait!

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 18, 2012 at 12:53 AM

      Hi, Mara, and welcome to my blog! I entered my query for my MG story The Warriors Three but it wasn't chosen. I had a blast at WOC and can't wait until next year!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  10. BluestockingAugust 17, 2012 at 5:30 PM

    Glad to hear you got ninja'd! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Looking forward to GUTGAA!

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 18, 2012 at 12:57 AM

      Hi Bluestocking and welcome to my blog! I'm glad you took the time to look around and I'm sure we will run into each other next month at GUTGAA...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  11. Kimberly GabrielAugust 17, 2012 at 10:07 PM

    Thanks for stopping by my blog! Looking forward to seeing you more with GUTGAA!

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 18, 2012 at 12:58 AM

      Hi Kimberly and welcome to my blog! Hope you have a relaxing weekend...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  12. AnonymousAugust 18, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    Hi Donna...
    Great post on what sounds like the online writer's conference to end all online writer's conferences...I am sooooo disappointed...and angry with myself that I let this one slip by me...but I have already tweaked my calendar for NEXT year and will make sure I get time off from work...because it seems like each day was chockful of important workshops and discussions. So glad you got some of your work critiqued...I had never had mine looked at by ANYONE...until this year...and I see how important it is. And helpful.
    Hmmm...what is GUTGAA? :)

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 19, 2012 at 3:14 PM

      Hi Vivian! Yeah, I certainly had a blast and it was my first conference of any kind myself. I can't wait until next year...hopefully I will have more things to have critiqued.

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  13. AnonymousAugust 18, 2012 at 8:33 PM

    Oh...now I see the button on your sidebar...Gearing Up to get an Agent...aha!
    I will have to click on that and find out what that is. :)

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    1. Think Positive, Be PositiveAugust 19, 2012 at 3:15 PM

      Lol...just when I was about to answer your question about GUTGAA, I looked down and saw this post! ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete

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